Procrastination brings…

When it comes to school work, I’m a procrastinator, and a big one at that.  A few nights ago, I was up late working on a project that was due the following morning.  I was sitting at my kitchen table (it’s made of light colored oak), outlining some designs in Sharpie marker.  Upon completion of this task, I held up the paper to admire my work.  Suddenly, my eyes were diverted back to the table surface.  Drawn on my kitchen table was an exact copy of my artwork.

Panicked, frustrated, and extremely annoyed with myself, I removed myself from the table in search of soap and hot water.  I scrubbed and I scrubbed and… nothing.  The mark was still there, mocking me, taunting me with words of “Well Sarah, maybe if you had done your homework earlier…”

So, I removed myself from the table again, this time in search of a different cleaning supply.  I came back with Lysol, Windex, 409, and Clorox wipes.  Why these were even in my house, I didn’t know—I certainly hadn’t cleaned in a while.

I tried each one of these; I scrubbed and I scrubbed and… nothing.  A slight improvement, but not really.  The design was still clearly visible.

Tired, cranky, and still annoyed, I turned to Google for answers.  In searching for ways to restore my table, I came across the website AltUse—Alternative Uses for Everyday Products.  ‘Interesting,’ I thought to myself.  ‘Bet they have something in there for me.’

And oh, how they did!

Hair spray and rubbing alcohol (not together, of course)—those were the magic products to remove the marker stain.  Never would have thought of that, would you?

Me either.  I owe a big one to AltUse.

AltUse is a collection of tips, ideas, and recommendations about using what’s around instead of getting something else.  As their mission statement says “We enable site visitors to save money, and to help save the environment, by putting their stuff to work in new ways.”  They encourage the reuse and recycling of materials; giving products a new life or another purpose, while delaying–or even preventing–a trip to the landfill.

Next time you’re in need of a solution (for anything really), check out AltUse.  You might be surprised by what you can do with those old coffee grounds, an iMac computer, and olive oil.  Ah, the great discoveries that procrastination brings.

REthinking recycling

Maggie Galloway, a co-founder of REthink Wisconsin, and I recently met to discuss REthink’s initiatives for the fall semester.

For those who have not heard, REthink Wisconsin was founded in September 2007 by a group of students interested in facilitating sustainable waste management practices on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.  What started as a group of six individuals has transformed itself into a coalition of over thirty active volunteers.

REthink is most known for its recycling efforts in Camp Randall Football Stadium.  Early in 2008, REthink and the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department explored ways to make Badger football game days more sustainable.  What emerged after much discussion and deliberation was the “Wear Red, Think Green” campaign.

The program has two main goals: to divert waste from landfills and to educate the Madison community about environmental issues.  Through the help of volunteers, REthink is able to achieve these goals.

If you’ve been to a Bager game recently, you’ve probably seen multiple individuals donning blue “Wear Red, Think Green” t-shirts.  These volunteers spend each game collecting and sorting plastic bottles into appropriate recycling containers.

Clearly, their efforts have been working.

“During the 2008 Football season, volunteers collected 2,760 lbs of plastic bottles.  From the first 5 games of the 2009 season, volunteers have collected 6,000 lbs of plastic bottles,” said Maggie.

And the season isn’t over yet.  Two games still remain—October 31 (vs. Purdue) and November 14 (vs. Michigan).  If you haven’t had a chance to volunteer with REthink, consider lending a hand at either of these games.  For more information about REthink Wisconsin and to volunteer your time, please visit www.REthinkwisconisn.org.

The Next Step

Locavore [also known as localvore].

1) the 2007 Oxford American Dictionary word of the year  2) one who consumes products from within a specific radius.

I had never heard of the 100-Mile Diet until I stumbled across it on MotherJones.com, a nonprofit news organization.  Sure, I was familiar with the benefits of local foods, but being the curious person that I am, deemed it worthy of further investigation.  In short, the 100-Mile Diet is exactly what its name implies:  everything consumed must be from within a 100-mile radius of one’s home.

Everything consumed.  That seems like a lot to ask, doesn’t it?  Already, I strive to be a locavore and a conscious consumer, frequenting farmers markets and co-ops.  The Willy Street Co-op makes my life easier by labeling all local items with a purple tag, from produce to pastas, breads to beverages.  Recently, Willy Street started labeling their bulk food items with the country of origin, or if possible, providing more specific information.

As I perused the aisles a few days after stumbling upon the 100-Mile, I had a shocking discovery: many of my favorite bulk items were not local.  I thought that I was doing my part just by buying in bulk—I never stopped to think about where these grains and beans came from.  Sadly, the closet ones came from Minnesota, a fact that disturbed me given Wisconsin’s farming culture.  This is in no way a bash on Willy Street—they do a phenomenal job and are without a doubt one of the best grocery co-operatives in the country.  Rather, I was disappointed in myself for not having realized sooner that local extends beyond products with a purple tag.

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be taking the next step in my local eating efforts.  As of yesterday, I’m on a quest to find rice, beans, and other grains grown within 100 miles of Madison, WI.

At Powered Green, we are challenging you to take the next step.

- If you are already a locavore, ask yourself if there are additional ways to do so.  You might be surprised by what you discover.

-If you’re not eating local, first ask yourself why not and then check out the links below for additional information.

Best of luck in your efforts!  Keep us updated, and we’ll do the same for you!

Eat Local Challenge.  Even though October is halfway done, it’s not to late to join the October Eat Local Challenge.  Check it out at http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/.

A bit more about the 100-Mile Diet from the duo that started it.  http://100milediet.org/.

Want to be a locavore but not sure where to go?  Look here to find sustainably grown food in your area at http://www.localharvest.org/.

Nobel Prize winners announced

The 2009 Nobel Prize winners were announced throughout the week.

The United States’ Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak each took 1/3 of the prize in medicine or physiology.

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan of the United Kingdom, Thomas A. Steitz of the United States, and Ada E. Yonath of Israel shared 1/3 of the prize in chemistry.

Germany’s Herta Müller won in the literature category.

Charles K. Kao of China was awarded 1/2 the prize in physics, splitting it with Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith, both of the United States, taking 1/4 of the prize.

President Barack Obama was awarded the peace prize for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Out of all the recipients, President Obama’s selection was the most disputed.  Supporters argued that Obama’s efforts to curb nuclear weapons was reason enough, whereas critics argued that the President has achieved little in his 9 months in the White House, and that the award was based upon his international celebrity status.  Turn into local news channels at 11 AM EST Friday to hear Obama’s statement about the award.

The Nobel Prize in economics will be announced next Monday, October 12.

For additional information about Nobel prizes, this year’s recipients, and past winners, please visit http://nobelprize.org/.